Praying for Jon Lester's mom
By Karlsie
Yesterday the sky over Fenway was a physical manifestation of the mood that hung over the park since Friday's night announcement about Jon Lester is now facing a battle with large cell anaplastic lymphoma. Players, staff and fans are all at a point where you want to ask, "What's next?"
For about a week now, I've been trying to write about this only to start crying and replaying the moments in which my Mr. Pi was going through the worst of his kidney stuff. It has dredged up the memories and feelings I thought I had long since dealt with and moved past - only to find out I haven't.
Like most people, I would take the "curse" of being number two over this season's "curse" of serious injuries and illness. I'd rather a broken heart in October than the pain of watching strong men fall one by one - each time a little harder than the one before.
From all accounts, Jon Lester is a good kid. For me, he is one of the kids that made me face the reality that I am now old enough that when I look at the field, the majority of the players are now babies and not babes. Right now all I want to do is sit quietly with his mother and let her cry and talk and do what it is that mothers do when they see what their babies are going through when facing serious medical issues.
I want to say, "It's not your fault." I want to say that because the first thing most parents do upon hearing the news is say, "This is because I ..." and insert your actions here. I didn't feed him enough fresh vegetables growing up... I let him play in the sun without sunscreen when he was little... I didn't stop him from drinking tap water... It can't be random to see your baby that sick and it must have been your fault because you were supposed to protect him from all the bad and scary things out there. It doesn't matter how old your baby may be.
People are praying for Jon Lester. People who will never meet him are praying that his goal of showing up at spring training good as new is a realistic one that we will all see. Right now, I'm not only praying that the Archangel Raphael, the spirit of healing, blesses him but I am also praying he blesses his parents who are beside themselves right now. Particularly I'm praying for his mom because I understand where she is right now.
Men are raised to be brave no matter what they're feeling inside and never let it show, women are not. We are trained to take all the emotions and energy the family is feeling and let it show as a form of catharsis while trying to keep things as normal as possible. It's a different role than men play in our society. I understand that role too well having been there myself.
I believe that Jon Lester will beat this and may he beat it back as strongly as Lance Armstrong. May he come back stronger and more determined. May he win an unprecedented 7 Cy Young's in a row (hopefully in a Boston uniform) and be a beacon of hope for others facing their personal difficulties - whatever they may be. But until that day, remember to pray for his parents, family and friends as well. Particular for his mother who will never be able to watch him do something profoundly normal without a tear in her again.
Because that's what moms do.
